

THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1863-65. 699" 



interest as it fell due, in coin, as had any other creditor of 

 the Government. 



The Senator from Iowa wants to know why a distinction 

 is to be made between the debt due the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution and a debt due any other person. No distinction is 

 to be made. It is the very thing we do not want to do. The 

 Government of the United States, in 1861, when this rebellion 

 broke out, owed some ninety million dollars: and does not 

 the Senator from Iowa know that we paid the interest to 

 every one of the holders of that indebtedness in gold? 



Mr. GRIMES. I know we did not do it to the Indians. 



Mr. TRUMBULL. You have done it to the Indians in many 

 instances; but because you have wronged the Indian, who 

 cannot assert his rights ; because you have violated your 

 treaties with him, and by act of Congress are changing 

 treaties every day, and driving him from the lands that you 

 set apart to him and said you would never disturb him in 

 the possession of; because you impose upon the Indian, do 

 you propose now to violate all your contracts? You are 

 bound to pay the Indian in gold, if you have agreed so to 

 pay him. Sir, this argument by which you talk about not 

 paying the poor soldier in coin smacks a little of a speech 

 upon the stump. The Senator from Iowa votes here to pay 

 the foreign bondholder in coin. 



In my opinion this amendment does not go far enough. 

 The reason, probably, for the introduction of the amend- 

 ment at this time is in consequence of a calamity, the de- 

 struction of a part of the Smithsonian building within a few 

 days by fire, involving a very large expenditure to repair 

 the building: but instead of calling upon Congress for an 

 appropriation for thafc purpose, it was thought on the part 

 of the managers of the institution they would be enabled 

 to get along if they received the interest due the institution 

 in coin. They were entitled to receive it, and they would 

 have received it in coin had they insisted upon it heretofore. 

 The only reason that it has not been insisted upon, as I 

 understand, is that in this great emergency of the country, 

 as the institution was able to get along, the matter was not 

 pressed upon the Secretary of the Treasury, who never de- . 

 nied the obligation of the Government to pay in coin as 

 much upon this debt as any other debt which the Govern- 

 ment owed. I am informed by the Senator from Maine 

 [Mr. Farwell] that they received the currency of the coun- 

 try without making a special demand for the coin under the 

 particular condition of things in the country at the time. 

 The institution will be able, as I understand, to repair the 



